Effexor for Depression User Reviews (Page 2)

• Nikki
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2018

"Effexor changed my way of life completely. I couldn’t get out of bed to do minor housework. I can actually get things done now. I feel happy again, like I used to be. I want to make plans with friends now. I am just a nicer person. My panic attacks have stopped. I am pleasant to my spouse and children now. I feel I am in control of my life again."

• CABCNA
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2013

"I'll start by telling you that I tried both Celexa and Lexapro. Celexa did fairly well, but Lexapro...that's a story for another time. I went to my doctor and told her I couldn't do Lexapro anymore. She prescribed me venlafaxine. In all honesty, I could tell a difference within the first few days. My panic attacks were fewer and further between, and I felt the dark cloud lifting. I've been on it for approximately two months now and haven't had any crazy side effects like I did with the other SSRIs. I suppose I'm still in the trial phase but I have no reason to dislike it yet. A miracle pill? Well, maybe. That's not to say that I don't get depressed again every now and then, but I'm generally content."

• Anonymous
• April 5, 2012

"I was recently put on Effexor, and I have seen a huge improvement in my motivation and mental clarity. I actually want to get out of bed and do things. I actually want to work out. I don't want to eat all the time anymore. I am severely obese, and now after being on it for almost 2 months, I have lost about 10 lbs, and I feel great. I haven't noticed any detrimental side effects. It has actually increased my libido, too. I will post if I see any bad changes."

• lll_1...
• January 6, 2008

"I ended up in the hospital after drinking a few glasses of wine, getting my stomach pumped, and feeling extremely out of it. I should have read the side effects of Effexor first, and I would have known that you should not drink alcohol while being on this medication."

• OLou
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 3, 2014

"I took this for a few years in my late teens for severe depression and self-harm tendencies. It worked well for me. The only downfall is the effects one experiences if one forgets a dose or stops taking the medicine without approval from one's medical provider. In my opinion, the honest truth is this: it can be a wonderful miracle for severe depression and anxiety. It can make a person more outgoing in their environment and provide someone with more energy. The only downfall I ever experienced with it was the withdrawal effects if I forgot a dose. Brain zaps, nausea, general ill feeling. If one takes it as directed, however, they shouldn't experience these. Never quit this medicine on your own without talking to your doctor."

• 30...
• March 18, 2013

"I had tried a number of different prescription meds before Effexor, none of which seemed to help. I can honestly say this worked the best, and with it, I was able to get out of bed and begin to function again. It really was one of those medications that did exactly what it was supposed to. I continued to take Effexor for three years, after which time I wanted to stop taking it and begin to manage my life without medicines. This is when the problems began. I can honestly say that it took me almost nine months to wean myself off Effexor. I no longer have to take medication but would warn anyone being prescribed this that it is not an easy medicine to stop taking."

• lasagna
• June 2, 2009

"I am 24 years old, female, 5'1, 130 lbs. Treated for major depression and anxiety. I have aversions to junk food (I am normally health-conscious unless I am really depressed), weight loss (12 lbs), dry mouth, lighter mood, easier to focus, more motivated, mountains turn into anthills, lower sex drive, sometimes get headaches. For me, the pros overwrite the cons - I went off of this for 6 months with no problems. No addiction or sickness. I am back on it, and boy am I glad to feel happy again."

• Brand...
• April 17, 2014

"I'm 19. I had a terrible abusive childhood full of alcohol and physical and mental abuse. Depression also runs in my father's and my mother's family, and so my head's pretty screwed up. I was first prescribed Lexapro; that medication made me go insane, and now I'm on 75mg of Effexor XR. I probably should take more, but in my experience with depression, it really keeps me grounded. So, I told my doctor this was good enough for me. I've been depressed my whole life, and I just want to be good enough to where I won't be suicidal. This medication is great. The only side effect is that if I sit in weird positions, my feet will go numb really quickly."

• Lawre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2014

"I am a physically healthy (runner) 25-year-old male. I have never been mentally healthy, so I have tried antidepressants. I tried Prozac and Wellbutrin. Prozac didn't help or hurt, but it gave me dangerous mood swings. I was prescribed Effexor 2.5 months ago. It seemed like a perfect fit for me. I was wrong. I was on 75 mg each day. It actually made me sadder. I had no weight or sexual side effects but had vertigo. The worst was CRIPPLING insomnia while taking it, and now I am close to 0 mg, but I still get night sweats and 'brain zaps'. As I write this, I've had 13 hours of sleep in the past 5 days."

• NDG
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2013

"I went on this medication as a last resort. I was at a point where I couldn't leave my house, I cried all day, and I had anxiety 24/7. I have just started taking the medication. The first day was terrible - cold sweats and brain zaps. I found I could not sleep. Now, 3 days into the medication, I find I am much happier. Perhaps I'm being optimistic, but the constant torture of obsessive thoughts and not being able to let the little things go has decreased. I would recommend this if you are at a last resort. The past 2 days have been reminiscent of how my life was before the year and a half of constant agony."

• Anonymous
• July 29, 2014

"I took Effexor for three years due to depression. I loved the fact that I was no longer depressed, but I was tired all the time. I could sleep for 10 hours, get up, and two hours later I was ready to sleep again. If I missed taking a dose, I would get a horrible headache. The only reason I stopped taking Effexor was due to being tired all the time. Getting off of the medication was awful. I have never been so sick in my life. If you are going to take this medicine the rest of your life, I highly recommend it. It did wonders for my depression."

• JoseT...
• June 27, 2013

"I am a 60-year-old male who has suffered from depression and panic attacks. In my late 30s, I decided to seek help. Like many others, the list of medications my doctors tried would fill a dictionary. Some worked for a while. I refused to take lithium. In my late 40s, I was also diagnosed with ADD. I now use 4 medications successfully: Effexor XR 450 mg daily, Xanax 1 mg daily, Adderall XR 60 mg daily, and Strattera 25 mg daily. I am now free of both depression and panic attacks for nearly 10 years! I am comfortable in public speaking and find that I love the adrenaline rush! I've tried to stop using Effexor XR but always restarted because of the horrible depression. Withdrawal is like a bad acid trip. Use Effexor to stay alive!"

• Autum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2016

"I have been on 75mg ER of Venlafaxine HCL for over 3 months now and I really feel wonderful. It's working very well for me. I have plenty of energy, lost about 20 pounds of weight and I do feel very content and calm. I do have vivid dreams that are interesting and long. I socialize and react very well with people now and no longer have any fears of socializing with groups of people. Again, this antidepressant has so far worked very well with me and I am happy that my doctor switched me from 20mg of citalopram, which made me very tired and gained way too much weight, to 75mg Effexor ER (Venlafaxine). Everyone's system is a bit different and what may work well for someone may not work well for someone else. I wish you all the best."

• Gc6644
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2014

"I started this medication about 4 months ago after being on Prozac for 5 months. Antidepressants react differently for everyone, and I am happy to say I have had a very good experience with this medication thus far. I have much more energy, will to live, and my anxiety has also decreased immensely. I have not experienced any side effects with this; however, I strongly recommend staying away from alcohol. After a night of drinking, I would fall into a depressive state or have a panic attack. This never happened to me before taking this medication."

• herbo...
• September 8, 2007

"My girlfriend has been on Effexor XR for almost seven years now. We just found out two weeks ago she is pregnant. The doctor told her to lower doses from the 300mg she has been on to 150mg, then three days later drop to 75mg, then three days to 37.5mg, then you're done. The doctor said that there might not even be any withdrawals if it is done this way. I wouldn't wish these bad withdrawals on anyone."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2008

"I was on Effexor XR for 8 years and I recently went off. I gave the drug 8 out of 10 because overall my anxiety and depression were greatly improved. I didn't have any sexual side effects and only felt dizzy when I did not take the medication at exactly the same time every night. I did lose a lot of my energy and was prescribed Wellbutrin to help out with that. However, the withdrawal, as others have mentioned, is terrible. My doctor prescribed a low dose of Prozac (20mg) to ease the withdrawal, and it really helped. If you are going off Effexor, do it with Prozac. I tried without it twice before, and it was such a horrible experience that I went right back on."

• j1ano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2014

"Celexa stopped working and I was put on Effexor. My panic attacks are worse then they have ever been, my depression is totally off the charts and I physically shake all the time. The irritability is by far the worst part for me. I'm forever angry now on this medication. My friends and family have noticed a big difference in my personality. Definitely getting of of this medication!"

• kamv
• August 8, 2009

"I gave this a high score because I got lucky. I went for years struggling with depression, weary of Big Pharma, self-medicating. Finally, a friend took me to a doctor. The first drug she prescribed was Effexor. I was prescribed the 75mg capsules. I found it to be too much for me, so I take one every other day. The only side effects I feel are from withdrawals if I skip a few days, and 'ditziness' if you will. Other than that, managing my depression has changed my life. My weight has even dropped because I used to self-medicate with food. I do recommend taking only the lowest dose possible for your symptoms. I am not a big fan of prescription drugs, but this was a lifesaver for me."

• Anony...
• September 20, 2019

"I was on apparently the lowest dose of 37.5mg for anxiety and I had the worst experience of my life. I had severe gut pains everyday and felt hypoglycaemic all the time. I thought my liver was going to give out it hurt so much. I was not myself. I was more anxious and depressed on the meds than I was off them. I couldn’t take it anymore and took myself off. Quitting cold turkey probably wasn't the best idea but make sure you go to your doctor to get tapered off properly first to avoid major withdrawal symptoms. I do not recommend this medication it’s not worth the risk."

• GinaGee
• October 20, 2013

"I have been on Venlafaxine XR for 8 years (first Effexor XR then generic without problems). Started at 150, then plateaued after about a year, went up to 225 and plateaued again. I have been on 300mg dose for over 5 years. I like this prescription a lot. I haven't tried other antidepressants, I was started on this because it worked for other family members. I know it's a high dose and some people are shocked, but I find this offensive and more or less stigma about mental illness and meds. I started Adderall about 4 years ago and that combination has been incredible for my depression (and ADHD). My sex drive recovered 3 months into VFX. The only complaint is when I miss a dose, in which case I have a lot of complaints: migraines, dizzy, tremor, hypersomnia"

• Sunset
• August 25, 2011

"I've struggled with depression since I was a teenager (and attempted suicide then). In college, I started having panic attacks. A few years later, I was put on this new medicine called Effexor (after getting no relief from Paxil nor Zoloft) and for the first time in my life, I felt relatively normal! I've been on Effexor - 150 mg/day for 20 years now, and it has REALLY helped me to function at a high level. I have gone off it several times - VERY slowly, but each time, a few months after being completely off, BANG - unbelievable depression, and I'd go back on. I'm at peace knowing I'll most likely be on it for the rest of my life. Helps with depression AND anxiety. No problems drinking while taking it, had three healthy kids while on it."

• The...
• October 23, 2014

"I started this medicine in nursing school. Very much so needed. I started seeing myself with less worry, and a more 'whatever' type of mentality. I figured that worked for me. However, my biggest problem has been the weight gain. Before I knew it, I gained at least 25 lbs. I'm a very active person and I watch what I eat, especially since I am a cardiac nurse. Also, make sure you NEVER miss a day of the medication. My side effects would be vertigo and shooting nerve pains in my head. I just upped my dosage to 150mg hoping it will increase my energy and help with weight loss. I was really bad off emotionally before, so besides everything above, I have my life back."

• Greg
• August 10, 2019

"It ruined my life. Was on it for 13 years and tapered off it March 2018. Everyday intense cognitive problems, intense headaches and stomach problems. Even if I missed a dose I felt incredibly sick. I am disabled because if it. I'm 29."

• Andy...
• March 13, 2012

"I have been on Effexor for 15 years, 150mg per day, except for a 1-year period ending about 6 months ago. It is very effective for me. It made me tired when I first started it, but it was worth sticking through that. For my time not taking it, I was on Zoloft which didn't work as well. Effexor has kept me from depression, but it does other things for me. First, it reduces my inattentiveness to near nothing. Therefore, I am very productive at whatever I do. Second, it greatly reduces anxiety. Stress does not cripple me any longer while on this medication. Going off the medication has a weird withdrawal symptom that isn't painful, it's just odd. Do not go off the medication without a doctor assisting."

• Plugcov
• October 22, 2016

"I am extremely disheartened in reading the negative reviews. I have taken Effexor since 1993. I began taking 37.5 mg and later lived for one year in a private psychiatric hospital for a suicide attempt. My psychiatrist, then the President of the American Psychiatric Association, increased my dose to 600 mg per day. This miracle drug kept and still keeps me alive some 23 years later. I have experimented with not taking this or any medication. I never presented with any withdrawal symptoms. However, like clockwork, on the 3rd day w/o it I begin to cry tears over nothing. By the 4th day I find myself in the midst of severe depression. within an hour of beginning my regimen again, I am back to my normal. Do not be afraid to try this medicati"